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file photo • The latest iteration of redevelopment plans for the former Lowry Grove mobile home park site, which was emptied of residents last summer, will be presented to the St. Anthony City Council March 27 upon the recommendation of the city’s Planning Commission.

At its Feb. 26 meeting, the St. Anthony Planning Commission, which advises the St. Anthony City Council, moved to recommend approval of the preliminary plan for the former Lowry Grove mobile home park site, now being called the Kenzie Terrace & Stinson Parkway development.

The commission recommendation came with an amendment advising the city council to “strongly consider” tying financial tax incentives for the development with affordable housing units in every building, and affordable housing that targets families.

The recommendation will be forwarded to the city council for consideration at its March 27 meeting. If approved, the final plat submission would be given to the city later this spring.

The St. Anthony council unanimously voted down the first Lowry Grove proposal at its Oct. 10 meeting last year. St. Anthony city staff recommended rejecting the plan over concerns about density expressed by residents during prior community and council meetings.

Down from an original 700 units, the plan presented Feb. 26 had 414 units, with room for 430.

Planning commissioners listened to the development team from The Village, LLC, which owns the former Lowry Grove site. The commission then listened to people comment and asked questions about the development.

Many speakers addressed what they said is a lack of affordable housing in the plan, including people displaced when the Lowry Grove mobile park was vacated to make way for development last June.

Former Lowry Grove resident Antonia Alvarez said, “Many of the [former Lowry Grove] residents are still homeless ... because there is not affordable housing in the city.”

On Feb. 28, St. Anthony Villagers for Community Action held a meeting at St. Anthony Village High School that included a slideshow of images from the closing of the Lowry Grove, a screening of the PBS documentary “Sold Out: Affordable Housing at Risk,” and a presentation from Metropolitan Council housing policy analyst Tara Beard.

“We have to remember residents of Lowry Grove are residents of St. Anthony,” said a community action group member while discussing her belief the city should rally to provide affordable housing.